Silence Broken
by Gnorctastic
Summary: It's been five years since the defeat of Ripto and the liberation of Avalar. Spyro and Elora have each come into their own, and they've become the best of friends. But there's a lingering silence between them still, and when Bianca gives a little push, it shatters spectacularly...


BIANCA

Bianca grimaced as she came to the top of the tallest tower in the Autumn Palace, out of breath from climbing what seemed like miles of spiral stairs and finally catching sight of her chestnut-furred quarry. The faun in question was sitting on the edge of the tower, hind legs hanging over the battlement, breathtakingly high above the red clay roof tiles of the rest of the palace. She seemed unfazed by the dizzying height.

Bianca chose to stand well back from the edge as she let the trapdoor to the stairs close behind her while she tried to think of a way to start this conversation. She had a feeling she knew why the faun was up here, and why she looked like someone had kicked her favorite cowleck. Elora was the picture of dejection, of resignedness; her shoulders were slumped, her head was bowed, and Bianca could hear a soft sniffle every so often.

Elora was quite the conundrum for Bianca, or at least she used to be. The two were well known throughout Avalar and the Forgotten Realms for having been at each others' throats for years. Soon after the defeat of the Sorceress over four years ago, Hunter first brought his new girlfriend home to Avalar and to meet Elora, and the two immediately took a disliking to each other.

Bianca was jealous of the easy closeness shared by the faun and the cheetah, and had initially - foolishly - thought Elora was out to get Hunter for herself.

On the other side, Elora was suspicious of the rabbit; Spyro had regaled her with the tale of the Forgotten Realms, and despite Bianca's reformation, the dragon was even to this day wary of the young sorceress. Back then, he'd been outright hostile.

Needless to say, the dragon hadn't left a great impression of Bianca in Elora's mind, and the rabbit unknowingly cemented it when she started acting possessive of Hunter the moment she arrived.

Finally, around a year ago, Hunter had had enough of his girlfriend and his adopted sister being ready to kill each other, and he enlisted Spyro's grudging help to lock the two into a room high in the Summer Castle to, "hash out their differences," as he put it. The two had famously devolved into a screaming match the likes of which could be heard through the portal to Idol Springs, and then a full-out brawl across the floor of the (thankfully) empty room. Spyro had just gone back down to the courtyard to wait for them with Hunter, ears ringing with colorful insults…

"_Stupid, conniving, bunny-rabbit bint!"_

"_Boyfriend-stealing, deer-tailed bitch!"_

...when the two had come flying out of the window, glass shards flying everywhere, Elora struggling to keep Bianca in a choke hold and Bianca repeatedly punching Elora in the gut despite gasping for air. Spyro had simply rolled his eyes, taken to the sky, caught both of them, and unceremoniously dropped them in the stream over by the portal to Glimmer. When Hunter finally ran over panicked and out of breath, the dragon was sitting under the shade of a tree with a smug glint to his eye, looking entirely too proud of himself, and the two girls were sitting there in the water laughing like fools in a close embrace that wouldn't have been out of place on life-long friends.

The two had been close ever since.

Now it was time for Bianca to lend a hand to someone who had quickly become her best friend. It was well known throughout Avalar and the Realms that Spyro and Elora were simultaneously madly in love with one another, and completely oblivious about each other. She was tired of seeing her closest friend moping about the Autumn Palace, and as much as she and Spyro had had their quarrels over the years, she wanted to see the purple guy happy too. She just hoped all they needed was a little push...

Bianca sighed and called out softly, "Elora? Is everything alright? He...the others are wondering where you are."

The faun on the ledge initially showed no reaction to the question. Her posture was dejected, shoulders slumped, head bowed.

"Well, tell them to go stuff it! I'm in no mood to gallivant around the courtyard and pretend like nothing's wrong!"

Bianca froze.

_This is bad. She slipped back into her old Fracture Hills accent._

She gently probed, "What's wrong, hun? This isn't like you, up here moping and avoiding everyone."

The faun was silent. Bianca waited a long, uncomfortable moment and made to step toward the figure silhouetted in shadow by the setting sun, but froze again when she finally spoke, softly, barely audible against the rustle of the breeze and the flag flapping at the top of the tower:

"How did you do it?"

The rabbit sighed again. She padded over as near to the edge as she dared and leaned up against the battlement.

"What do you mean? What's the matter, Elora?"

The faun whirled, facing Bianca for the first time. Her face was grim, mouth set in a hard line, eyes suspiciously shiny in the dusky light.

"You and my brother." Elora paused, pensive. "You made falling in love look so damned _easy_ and I just don't get it. Look at you. You're practically _glowing_!" She huffed and turned back toward the sunset.

"I wish it was that easy for me," she mumbled, thinking it too soft for Bianca to hear. "I wish it were that easy for us."

Bianca plucked up a bit of courage and climbed atop the battlement to sit next to Elora and smiled wanly. "It can be that easy, you know. You're talking about Spyro, right?"

Elora started, turning wide-eyed, and then her features softened and her cheeks warmed in what would've been a blush if not for the fine fur covering her face and neck.

"It's that obvious, huh?" she questioned resignedly, sighing and turning back once again to face the lowering sun.

Bianca chuckled merrily. "Sweetie, I think everyone in Avalar save the purple monster himself is well aware of how you two feel about each other."

Elora's brow furrowed. "About each other? Yeah, right. Spyro wouldn't know real emotion if it knocked him over the head like a Gear Grinder. He thinks love is a _plague_. No, it's just not possible."

"And why wouldn't it be possible?" Bianca pried.

Elora stood angrily, hands balled into fists at her side. "Because it just isn't! He's this great, majestic, fire-breathing _dragon_… and I'm just a faun, and an odd one at that. We're just too different."

She sat with a huff and a sob escaped her, the tears that had been so precariously held back now falling freely into the open air beneath her hooves.

Bianca scoffed. "Faun, you forget who you're talking to. You remember our mutual annoyance, the _cheetah_, right? Shouldn't that follow the same logic? And you did mention I was, er...how did you put it? 'Practically glowing?'" Elora gave her a quizzical look through the tears. "Rabbits have a… er, promiscuous... reputation for a reason, and Hunter is more than willing to oblige. I'd be a hypocrite if I had a problem with you and Spyro!"

Elora smiled, eyes red-rimmed but tears no longer flowing. "First of all, too much information. Hunter and I are close but not _that_ close. And at least you two both have _fur_!"

Bianca laughed. "True. I don't get your fixation with _scales_!" she said, with a shudder. Elora giggled as Bianca continued, "But it's the same logic. It's not that odd, really. I mean, in Avalar, you have a Breezebuilder married to a Land Blubber. Anything can happen!"

Elora giggled again through the tears. "Romeo and Juliet are cute. And I suppose anything is possible, but does take two to tango, and I'm not sure…"

Bianca cut her off. "Are you kidding me? That's the easy part. He's practically falling over himself trying to get you to notice him, not that it's that difficult… but he doesn't know that. You two are such _idiots_ when it comes to each other!" She stamped her foot in frustration, fists balled at her side.

The faun looked extremely confused. "I know he used to have a kid crush on me back right after Ripto… but Bianca, I just don't see how that's still the case. He was only sixteen! It's been five years! He's grown up so much, he isn't so arrogant, he's calmed down, and well… he's _grown_." She was blushing visibly, staring off into space, no doubt thinking of their mutual dragon friend who, while short and lean for a dragon, was now taller than Elora by a head and had the wingspan to match. And he could _fly_.

Elora's features dropped and she whispered, "I'm sure he has dragonesses all over him. If he could have the best of them, why would he want a faun?"

Bianca just rolled her eyes. "Alright faun, listen up. Time to stop moping! It's Day of the Dragon and the festival is in full swing. And I came up here to tell you Spyro is looking for you… I think he wants to daaaaance…" she finished musically.

Elora started. "What? Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?!"

"You needed a pep talk. Now go find your dragon and have a good time!"

Elora was already through the trapdoor and down the ladder, the sound of hooves clicking on the stone steps of the tower echoing back through to the rabbit's keen ears.

* * *

HUNTER

Hunter was a simple creature.

No, not like Gnasty Gnorc. Gnasty was just a total moron. The cheetah certainly wasn't _stupid_, but simply straightforward. He was all black and white (or black and yellow, if you will), where Elora was all shades of grey.

Hunter had been ready to go up to the tower and bring Elora back down himself. He dreaded the prospect; he and Elora were like siblings to each other, but he just didn't understand why she needed to be so damn _emotional_ all the time. For Hunter it was simple; you like someone, you ask them out, and then if you still like them afterwards you kiss them and ask them out again.

So when Bianca offered to go up in his stead, he was certainly willing to oblige…

By eagerly shoving her into the spiral stairwell and slamming the door behind her.

Yes, Hunter and Elora were close. They were about as close as siblings could be, and they called each other as such, though they were not actually related in any way. The two had grown up as kindred souls, as oddballs in the worlds of Avalar. Hunter was the only of his kind left in Avalar's connected realms since the warp stones to the cheetahs' village in Spring Valley failed so many years ago, and many of the denizens instinctively shied away from the supposed apex predator, though in reality he had minimal feline instinct and wouldn't hurt a fly. Unless someone threatened one of his friends, of course.

And Elora was a faun, but she really was a bit _odd_. Her chestnut fur set her apart from the pastels sported by the fauns of Fracture Hills, and her softer deer-like features and lack of horns widened the gap even further; not to mention she'd always towered over the other fauns by at least a head, even since they were all kids. The satyrs had always been all over her, just because she looked different and had come into her figure earlier than the others. Even today, several years after the fact, some of the idiots still made crude remarks and blatant passes at her. And the rest of the fauns, even the older ones, hated being upstaged. As a result, they hated _her_.

And so the two unknowing kindred souls had found each other, simply by chance. When she was twelve, she'd fled a particularly nasty older faun and her relentless insults, climbing into the ice cave in Magma Cone to try to find some blessed solitude. In her distracted state, she quite literally ran into Hunter, who'd been practicing for the annual Crystal Popcorn gathering competition. Elora was quite good at the game herself, so when Hunter offered up a friendly competition to cheer her up, she accepted graciously.

The faun proceeded to kick his ass. Twenty-one to four, in record time. It remained Hunter's worst defeat to date _and_ the record for fastest to twenty-one since the fauns started keeping records.

Ever since, the two had been inseparable.

Hunter was a bit of an oblivious oaf sometimes (Bianca's words, not his), but even he could see Elora and Spyro loved each other, and all he wanted was for them to be happy. This was the perfect occasion, Avalar's fifth Day of the Dragon festival celebrating the anniversary of Spyro's defeat of Ripto. There was music, drinks, dancing; the perfect atmosphere to give the two hapless lovers a push in the right direction. If only they could find them…

And then a brick wall ran into him. Or at least that's what it felt like. It was actually a wooden door.

"Geez, sis. What's the big hurry? That really stung!" Hunter gasped, desperately trying to get his breath back after having the wind knocked out of him by the door to the tower stairs.

Elora, who looked no worse for wear, groaned exasperatedly. "Ughhh, Hunter! Why were you standing right in front of the door?"

"Sheesh! Good to see you too! Sor-ry I was trying to be concerned! What's got you running like you're being chased by an angry dragon?"

"Where's Spyro?" Elora queried, rolling her eyes at the cheetah's antics. "Have you seen him lately?"

"Ohhhh, so you're the angry one, and you're _chasing_ the dragon! Spyro had better watch out, he's in trouble!"

Elora rolled her eyes. "Hunter, focus! Where is Spyro? Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, he was roaming around looking for you a little bit ago. But I think I saw him fly off..."

Elora frowned, brow knit in thought. "Do you know where he went?"

Hunter shrugged. "Not sure, sis. But he looked pretty bummed. Poor guy almost ran into a pillar before he finally caught air. He was heading toward the warp stones."

Elora took off down the hallway in a rush. Hunter had no idea where she was going, but she seemed to have some idea where Spyro was, so he let her go. "Good luck, Goat Girl!" he shouted in parting.

"Did you get her pointed in the right direction?" Bianca's voice drifted to him from just inside the stairwell.

Hunter extended an arm, and she came to stand at his side. "No idea, babe, but she seemed to know where she was going," Hunter mused.

Bianca smiled. "She knows him better than anyone, love. I'm sure they'll get each other sorted."

"I hope so!" Hunter exclaimed, "I'm so tired of watching both of them get all bummed out when the other isn't around!"

"You and me both, sweetie. Now, let's go have a drink and do some dancing!"

Hunter grinned as Bianca took his paw and pulled him back toward the festival.

* * *

ELORA

_I know exactly where he is_.

Elora began to trot toward where she believed her dragon to be, striding confidently but feeling anything but on the inside. Lost in thought, she barely processed Hunter's parting comment with that awful nickname as she hopped onto a warp stone.

_This dragon is going to be the death of me._

Spyro was just so frustrating! He rarely outwardly displayed any sort of real emotion, and had often casually dismissed the 'plague' of love as something for _lesser beings_.

Except when it came to her, apparently. His failed attempt at wooing her at the first Day of the Dragon festival proved that much. That night, the fauns from the Cone had given him a few too many of their famous brews, and half of his speech was spent waxing poetic about her. She fled red-faced and angry before the embarrassment killed her. Or before she killed Spyro, Sparx be damned.

They didn't speak for an entire year, until the next year's festival. Spyro came to her in private and sheepishly apologized for putting her on the spot like that. Slowly, the pair built their friendship back up, and once again three years later they were the best of friends. Though they still hadn't ever really spoken about what happened at that first festival.

Elora had watched Spyro grow from a care-free, sometimes care-_less _teenage dragon with a cute crush on her. When he was grabbed from the aether and pulled into Glimmer by the Professor's portal, he was young, bright-eyed, cocky, and overconfident. But he had a heart of gold, and charged headfirst into the struggle against Ripto. She hadn't initially believed the young dragon had what it took to beat the nasty little dinosaur and his army of minions, but he proved her wrong in the most spectacular of ways. His crush on her was adorable, at least until the incident at the festival a year later. In Spyro's defense, she _did_ kiss him when he toasted Ripto. And the display at Fireworks Factory a few months later _was_ a perfectly romantic moment, or at least it would've been if not for Spyro's old aversion to all things romance.

_If only he'd been a little older._

And now, five years to the day of the defeat of Ripto and the liberation of Avalar, he _was_ older, and Spyro had certainly come into his own. He was the Dragon Realms' first official ambassador to Avalar, and youngest dragon ambassador in the history of the Realms to boot. Nestor personally nominated him to the position, foremost because he already knew all of the Avalari Council chairs and personally helped each of them during the war on Ripto, and the Elders had unanimously confirmed him to the post less than a week later.

Despite Spyro's lingering tendency to flame first and ask questions later, he fit right in with Avalari politics. He thrived in the appointed role with his straightforward nature, to the point where he was essential to crafting the treaty between Zephyr and Breeze Harbor last year - something Elora had long thought an impossibility.

And he had finally found his Artisan calling. Spyro always did love to explore, and after he learned to fly, his adventures only became more and more ambitious. The dragon once regaled Elora with a tale of finding a great hoard of treasure on one such journey, so much that Sparx's magic wasn't able to handle all of it in one trip. It was hidden in a very hard-to-reach spot, so he took to the air to sketch out a simple map he could use to find the hoard again. But when Nestor saw the map, he scoffed at the fact that it was 'just a quick sketch!', declared it better than the maps of that isle from the dragon archives, immediately spat a gout of flame to set the old ones alight, and sent Spyro back to complete a full chart of the island. Since then, Spyro had personally updated nearly the entire atlas collection in Dark Hollow's archives, and every time he traveled to a new world he made a point to thoroughly map it before leaving. The rare combination of Artisan heritage and love of exploring made him the Realms' best cartographer in generations. Not to mention his neurotic tendency to find every single nook and cranny with even the most remote possibility of hiding gems or other goodies. His work was helping the dragons to expand their territory and bring their magic into more and more worlds.

Yes, the years had been kind to Spyro. His cockiness was replaced with quiet confidence, his recklessness morphed into a carefree, but down-to-earth nature. In just five years, barely a blink in the life of a dragon, he'd grown from barely more than a dragonling into a highly respected member of dragon society, and the betting favorite to take over Nestor's mantle as Artisan Elder in a few centuries.

And my, had he _grown_. Spyro was never going to be a particularly tall or large dragon, but Elora found she quite liked his height. It was short for a dragon, but he was only a head or so taller than her, while many of the Elders towered over her. And the wiry build suited him; it made him a more agile flyer, which was essential to his craft. His scales had darkened to a majestic, iridescent purple, and his crest and horns were now more of a soft golden color rather than the brash yellow of his youth. Recently, he had taken to standing on his hind legs like his older dragon peers, and despite the fact that seeing him stand so tall was a bit odd, it was not an unwelcome change. His wings were wide, his shoulders broad, and all in all Elora thought he had grown to be rather… _delicious_.

_Come on, faun! Get a grip!_

The odd pair had spent the last three years rebuilding their friendship from the rubble it was left in after the first festival. Elora saw the changes in Spyro begin to manifest, and despite her lingering anger and the initial awkwardness, she knew the dragon was someone worth being friends with. Despite Spyro's wandering, adventurous nature, he always made time to come visit her in Avalar, even outside his official capacity. They had gotten almost as close as a pair of siblings, or so she thought.

And then Spyro found a dragoness to occupy his attention.

He came to her in a rush one day, blushing and sheepish, but excited nonetheless, asking her questions about lingering touches and butterflies in the tummy and _kisses_.

She knew the day would come, of course. Spyro was well-known to be disdainful of all things love, but she knew someday, some pretty dragoness would come along and pull him out of his funk. What she wasn't ready for was her reaction to it. Out of the blue, Elora's heart was gripped with a cold fear.

She'd gone and fallen for the overgrown lizard, and didn't even realize it until it was too late.

Those few months had been agonizing for Elora. She and Spyro continued to spend time together like nothing had changed, except that she'd deigned to allow him to bring his pretty little pink dragoness along on a few of their outings. These were always painful times for the faun, but their final trip to Dragon Shores was a particularly sweet memory...

_Elora braced herself as she stepped up to the archway back to Winter Tundra. She knew not what was happening back at the Winter Fortress, but Ember had been so mad she was smoking and Elora was sure that the outcome would be unpleasant for both Spyro and her._

_A deafening shriek greeted her as she stepped through to the other side the misty portal. _

"_CALM DOWN?! How DARE you tell me to calm down after the SHITE you pulled today!" The pink dragoness was screaming at Spyro, and she looked to have a good head of steam going. _

_Literally. Her anger combined with the cold of the Winter Tundra was causing steam to pour from her nose._

"_Geez, Ember, stop screaming! You're going to wake up the robo-bees at this rate!"_

_She seethed. "Well, the robots can go FUCK themselves, along with the rest of this godsforsaken place! I HATE Avalar! I hate the weird things that live here, I hate the awful ugly castles, and I HATE that annoying goat-girl thing that you insist on having follow us around everywhere!"_

_A lance of pain went through Elora's heart. Not at Ember's words; the dragoness was less than dirt in Elora's eyes. No, this was the moment when Ember would deliver her ultimatum. She was going force Spyro to leave her behind. Her heart began to shatter, even as out of her view Spyro's eyes turned to ice as he glared at his mate._

_Ember's tirade continued. "News flash, dragon savior...we are MATES! Maybe I wouldn't be so mad if you actually paid attention to ME, instead of that annoying, two-faced, deer-tailed, furry, mate-thieving WHORE that seems to keep you occupied so much better!_

_Elora stood by the portal, silent tears leaving dark tracks in the soft fur of her cheeks. She could see the smug look on Ember's face from here, but what she couldn't see was the cold fury in Spyro's eyes, and the twisted rage that he was keeping in check by a thread. _

"_Get out." He said it so flatly, so emotionlessly that Elora thought she had to have heard wrong._

_The smug look dropped from the dragoness in an instant. The gravity of what she had said seemed to have caught up with her; tears filled her eyes as she choked out, "What? Spyro, I…"  
_

"_GET OUT!" he roared with a great gout of flame, wings flared, teeth bared. "How about a news flash for you, _love -" _he said the endearment with the biggest sneer Elora had ever seen on his face - "I am the ambassador to Avalar for a reason! I love this place! It's been like a second home to me… and Elora and I have been through hell and back together. She is my best friend in all the realms and beyond! If you can't accept that, and if you can't love Avalar, you can't love me! You aren't welcome here anymore!"_

_Surprisingly, Ember went without a fight, tears streaming and sobs audible as she leapt back into the super portal. _

_Spyro turned and winced as he saw Elora standing by the portal, even as the tears stopped flowing and her confused frown began to turn into a wide grin._

He chose me!

_Spyro had yet to make eye contact with her. Sheepishly, he started, "Sorry you had to hear that. She's crazy, and obviously I don't believe any of that nasty stuff she said about Avalar, or y…"_

_He was cut off by a chestnut-furred finger. "I know, Spyro. It's okay." She swept her arms out wide, and he swung up onto his hind legs to pull her into a tight embrace._

"_Thanks for sticking with me, Elo. You're the best. Even if you are some kind of goat!"_

_Elora cuffed him on the back of the head, even as they remained wrapped up in each other's embrace. "Dork!" They laughed, and as she pulled back to look him in the eyes, she whispered, "Anything for you, Spyro…"_

Spyro hadn't shown interest in any females of any species since then, despite the best efforts of Lila, one of the fauns from Fracture Hills who still insisted on reminding Elora that she was different than the rest of them. Spyro seemed to ignore her for the most part; he hadn't shown much interest in any dragonesses, or females of any species for that matter. For this Elora was thankful; but he also seemed to have moved on from his teenage crush on her, and so she stayed silent about her newly realized feelings for him for fear of damaging their friendship again.

But all that was about to change. She could keep her silence no longer; the pain of loving Spyro from afar was too much to bear. She immediately saw him as she emerged from the portal into Stone Hill, perched perfectly on his favorite spot at the top of the tallest tower of the little castle the elders had gifted him after he became the Avalari ambassador.

_Show-off._ _He did always have a flair for the dramatic._

It was time. Elora was well aware he knew of her presence; his senses were keen enough to have heard her land even with the thick covering of lush grass muting the click of her hooves on the ground.

He turned to face her.

* * *

SPYRO

Spyro sighed.

He'd heard the muted _whoosh_-like sound of someone arriving through the portal, and he'd also heard said someone land softly in the grass. If he'd had to guess, he would've said Hunter would be the one to come remove him from his blissful solitude, but it hadn't sounded like cheetah paws landing somewhere over near Stone Hill's well. In fact, it had sort of sounded like…

_Hooves?_

Spyro turned to the last sight he would've expected. The very faun that so often weighed heavy on his thoughts stood in the middle of Stone Hill, gazing up at him with a fire in her eyes and a sad smile on her face.

_Shit. Why did it have to be her?_

By all means, he should be happy; the faun down in the grass was his best friend, his confidant, the only one who knew this is where he came when he was down or needed to be alone.

But when the faun herself was the reason he was down and needed to be alone? Apparently he had no escape.

Spyro couldn't help it. He'd tried to be _just_ friends with Elora for years now.

Their year of estrangement was agony to the young dragon, but it was good for him as well. It drove him to realize he couldn't just fly through life by the skin of his horns; things weren't always going to work out in his favor just because he wanted them to. And he had to be better if Elora was ever going to notice him the way he wanted her to. Nestor was skeptical when Spyro asked to learn from him, but the Elder took on the promising young dragon as an apprentice and Spyro exceeded all expectations.

He somberly approached her during the preparations for the second Day of the Dragon festival and asked her for a private moment. She was skeptical, and rightfully so, but he knew he must have looked so miserable that she took pity on him and allowed him to deliver his apology. It wasn't a pleasant memory, per se, but one which made Spyro smile nonetheless.

"_Elora, listen, I understand why you were angry and embarrassed last year, and I just want to say I'm sorry. I…" He was cut off by a chestnut-furred finger against his lips._

_She was grinning widely. "That's all you need to say, Spyro," Elora said softly, eyes suspiciously shiny. _

_Then she punched him in the shoulder. "About damn time, you boneheaded dragon!"_

_Spyro smiled sheepishly. Sorry, I just...I needed some time, and Hunter said you were so mad, so I gave you space, and…"_

_Elora spread her arms wide. "It doesn't matter, not anymore. I missed you! Stop apologizing and give me a hug!"_

_Spyro beamed as he swung unsteadily onto his hind legs and wrapped both his forelegs and wings around the faun. "I missed you too, Elo. It's good to have you back," he said softly as they broke the embrace._

_Elora smiled. "You too, dork. Now let's go find Hunter and see if he's up to losing at hockey again!"_

They'd been as close as brother and sister since that day; the absolute best of friends. They were each others' confidants, and every crisis they faced together just brought them closer. When Spyro was appointed ambassador to Avalar, they even started working together in an official capacity, as Elora was the newly elected chair and impartial mediator of the Avalari council as an honorary for her role in ending the Ripto crisis. She had no vote, but she kept order and peace in the council and was not afraid to knock some skulls together in the process.

Literally. During the treaty negotiations, she grabbed a Breezebuilder and a Land Blubber, smacked their heads together, and told them to shut up if they didn't have anything _productive_ to say.

The way she growled the word _productive_ at them was one of the sexiest things Spyro had ever witnessed.

Needless to say, Spyro had been smitten with Elora since the moment she called him a dork on that first day in Summer Forest. Honestly, if the one welcoming him to Avalar had been a little less gorgeous, fighting Ripto would've been a much tougher sell.

At first, it was just a crush, the culmination of which resulted in the disaster at the festival. He'd come to realize that he only loved the idea of her then; but after they reconciled and began to spend significant time with each other, he truly fell for the cute faun all over again and then some, to the point where it became torturous.

A wonderful torture, but torture all the same.

Ember was just a distraction. Spyro knew he had no real feelings for the pink dragoness; she was pretty, but she was much too _girly_ for Spyro to truly fall in love with. But she was, for want of a better word, _easy_; and spending time with her did take the edge off of the pain of loving Elora from afar. In the end, Ember wasn't able to handle how close Spyro was to Elora, and he sent her packing when she decided the best way to confront the situation was to start a screaming match in the middle of the Winter Fortress.

Turns out she _had_ angered the robo-bees, even a portal's distance away, and Spyro had to spend the next week in Robotica Farms hunting all of them down and smoothing things over with the robot farmers.

Spyro felt bad for his role in that short-lived relationship, though in his defense, he had made it clear from the start that he wasn't looking for anything serious. He had nothing against Ember, really. She just wasn't Elora. Ember was pretty, but Elora was gorgeous. Ember was cute where Elora was sexy. Ember was girly, airheaded, and a bit ditzy; Elora was intelligent, practical, and not afraid to get her hands dirty.

Spyro sighed. He knew he didn't really _fit in_ amongst the other dragons. For one, he was short and thin, and it seemed he always would be - Nestor theorized that his growth was impacted by the massive amounts of malevolent magic he'd been exposed to during the years where he should've been going through his growth spurts. Sparx could only shield him from so much, he supposed. But his red wings were strong, and each spanned as wide as he was tall when they were unfurled, giving him a completely different profile compared to the average Artisan. Spyro could never be a force in the melee pits in Peace Keepers, or the annual Beast Makers headbashing tournament, but he could fly like he'd been doing it for centuries. Twists, turns, hovers, distances; all were a piece of cake for the purple dragon. He could even hold his own in speedways despite his massive wingspan, compared to typical sprinters whose wings were generally small but very strong. The five platinum Speedway trophies, one for each Realm, on his mantle spoke for themselves.

Physical differences aside, Spyro really just didn't _like_ most other dragons. Dragons kept to themselves for the most part, but Spyro was more solitary than even Cosmos; only generally interacting with Nestor, and the other Elders only in his official capacity.

And of course, the minor detail where he was in love with a _faun_.

Dragons had had trysts with other species before, of course, but never quite on the level Spyro aspired to. As a species, dragons were for the most part quite casual and businesslike about mating and such; once every twelve years, everyone sort of...paired off, and then the eggs were hatched and raised by the community at large.

But there were the odd few dragons with a romantic side and chose to bond for life with their partners. Bonded dragons literally intertwined their magic together; they are stronger together and weaker when they are alone, and they can _push_ their own innate power toward the other in times of need. They have a sort of sixth sense about their partner, with which they can feel basic things like general location, emotional state, and the like; but nothing specific like individual thoughts.

No one knew if one of another species (say, a faun…) could become a dragon's bonded, as no one had ever tried it before. Nestor had theorized, when asked by Spyro, that it was possible, if the individual in question had enough innate magic to sustain the link.

"_Fauns are a highly magical race, and I know the one you ask of," Nestor stated plainly, one eyebrow raised._

_Spyro blushed. "Wait a sec - who said anything about a fa…"_

_Nestor cut him off with a barking laugh. "Don't be obtuse. You are many things, but subtle you certainly are not. She would make a fine mate for you. What you ask is certainly possible, and I would even say likely to be successful. But it would be an unequal sharing of magic, and would likely shorten your lifespan as much as it would lengthen hers."_

_The elder looked Spyro directly in the eye. "Let me caution you, young one. I shall not forbid you from attempting this should events fall in your favor. However, I strongly caution you against such a feat. Our magic is unpredictable when we use it in ways in which we have studied; this would be a first for dragonkind, and as such, I know not exactly what the effects would be. It could kill one or both of you instantly. Such an extreme outcome is unlikely, but the point stands. Be careful, Spyro." He placed a forepaw on Spyro's shoulder, imploring the young dragon with his intense gaze._

_Spyro nodded somberly. "I promise, Elder."_

Spyro sighed as he emerged from the brief memory. He knew Nestor was well aware that his caution would not be heeded. Spyro was willing to do nearly anything short of killing in cold blood to be with Elora; it was a small price to pay to have his life shortened by a century or two.

Though it didn't really matter if he _could_ bond with Elora if there was no Elora to bond with in the first place. At least, not in the way he wanted her to be.

There was nothing else for it, he supposed. He could keep his silence no longer; the pain of loving her from afar was too much to bear.

He leapt into the air, and with a beat of his great wings, began to glide down to the object of his affections.

* * *

ELORA

Elora saw him take off, heard the _whump_ of the air as he pulled his wings through the air. Adrenaline was flooding her body, her legs itched with the desire to bolt as he glided in a broad arc toward her. He did a little flip as he neared her and landed gracefully on his hind legs.

She giggled. "Show-off!"

"That was nothing!" he boasted. "I can show you some _real_ flying if you want!"

"No, it's quite alright," she said as she shook her head. "Your idea of 'real flying' is my idea of a death wish!"

Spyro laughed. "Suit yourself, goat girl!" His smile faded and his features gained a serious tone. "So are you the lucky loser Hunter sent to get me out of my funk?"

Elora grimaced at hearing that awful nickname _again_, but her frown softened when he asked his question. She replied softly, "No. He didn't _send_ me, like I would ever be his personal messenger. He did say you were bummed, but only I knew where to find you." She added the last with a bit of cocky flair to her tone.

Spyro sighed. "You know me too well," he mused.

"Where's Sparx?" Elora asked. The dragonfly's warm glow was noticeably absent.

Spyro laughed sheepishly. "He's… uh… resting. I er… may have crash landed kinda hard earlier and he had to shield me from breaking a wing. Or more."

"Spyro!" She slugged him in the shoulder. "Be more careful, dork!"

"Hey!" he shot back indignantly. "It wasn't my fault! The idiot I was racing against intentionally clipped my wing, 'cause he couldn't beat me in a fair flight!"

Elora scoffed. "Adrenaline junkies. You're going to give me an ulcer someday, you overgrown salamander!"

Spyro just grunted what sounded like an assent. The silence stretched between them as Elora pondered how to broach the elephant in the realm.

A contemplative look passed over his reptilian features for a split second before he dropped down onto his forepaws and folded his wings in. "C'mon, hop on. I want to show you something."

Another jolt of adrenaline shot through her. She wasn't afraid of heights, but something about flying with Spyro both terrified and thrilled her.

_Not just with Spyro, faun. _On_ Spyro._

Her heart thundered in anticipation at the prospect. He wasn't that much larger than her, but she had no doubt his strong wings could support them both.

There was only one decision she could make. As she swung her leg over and settled her hips behind his wing joint, he turned and said, "Alright, now hold on tight and don't let go!"

Nervously, she replied, "Um, you… won't do anything too insane, right?"

Spyro just laughed as he crouched and leapt into the air with a massive beat of his wings. He made lifting both himself and Elora seem effortless as he soared higher into the sky.

Elora gasped as the ground sank away from her. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Spyro's neck; maybe a little more tightly than was necessary. The powerful beats of his wings resonated through him and into her. She felt him tense and she screamed as she was suddenly upside down, and then the world righted itself and she was breathless.

"Spyro! Give a girl a bit of warning next time!" The barrel roll had left her dizzy but giddy with adrenaline. She felt, rather than heard, his laugh.

Finally, he alighted on top of the tower and folded his wings around her to give her some support. The view was magnificent; the lush, green plains gave way to hazy, purple mountains in the distance, and the setting sun to the west painted the sky with spectacular reds and oranges around the dark streaks of high cloud.

Elora looked around in awe. "Wow, Spyro. This is breathtaking."

He smiled. "Yeah, it is. This is my favorite spot in all the Realms. Even after all the adventures and journeys, I always end up back here. It's a hundred times better with you here, though."

She beamed. "Thank you for sharing it with me, Spyro." She tightened her grip around his shoulders and rested her head against his. The odd pair remained there as the sun set and stars started to dot the deep blue of the early night sky.

The night air was cool, but Spyro's wings protected her against the worst of the chill. His scales were surprisingly warm, and soft to the touch. No words were necessary as they took in the gorgeous view and enjoyed the simple pleasures of each other's company and the gentle embrace.

She was nearly lulled into a light slumber when the dragon's voice cut softly through the evening air.

"I'm gonna hop down now, okay?"

She nodded and mumbled her assent, and as the dragon unfurled his wings she once again gripped around his shoulders as he spiraled softly down to the courtyard overlooking the little beach behind the castle. Behind them, an open arch led to the interior of the castle, and the courtyard was surrounded by a low brick wall. An ornate but dusty golden platform sat in the middle of the grassy overlook, with a weak but familiar spice of dragon magic in the air.

"We used to use these to travel back to the Artisan home," Spyro reminisced. "They had a crystal inside that was charged with magic and powered a vortex that worked a bit like the fairies' whirlwinds. Once we started getting visitors who didn't have wings, though, we had to switch to regular old portals to get back, like you guys have in Avalar."

She murmured her understanding as she climbed off of him, and he took a step forward and turned to face her. She immediately missed his warmth in the chill of the night.

Elora sighed. "What's wrong, Spyro? Why are you here instead of enjoying the festival?"

"Honestly, Elo? I don't know. I should be used to this feeling by now."

She felt a jolt of affection at his nickname for her, and then confusion. "What do you mean?"

Spyro grimaced and turned away from her. "The feeling of desperately wanting something you cannot have," he breathed.

Elora's heart shot into her throat. _Surely he doesn't mean… Was Bianca right?_

Spyro sighed and continued. "Listen, Elo, I'm sorry. I know I really messed up before, and that I've already been down this road, but I just can't pretend like _just_ being your friend isn't tearing me apart inside. I fell for you the moment I landed in Glimmer, and I fall for you more every time I even look into your eyes. I know I should just try to move on, but here I am making a fool of myself again. I mean, look at you! You could have anyone in Avalar!"

His head hung heavy. "It's just not possible…" He murmured, nearly inaudibly.

Elora was nearly in tears. She had no idea Spyro's devotion to her still ran so deep. His words were brief but heavy with emotion, and Elora's heart was nearly bursting with affection. She knew this was their chance, the moment that would make or break them.

She decided to leap headfirst. "Spyro...sometimes, things that seemed impossible before, well, sometimes they aren't meant to change." She saw his head drop and his shoulders slump. "But, Spyro, sometimes they are destined to change… And sometimes they end up right next to you and you don't even realize it."

* * *

SPYRO

He looked up at her.

Surely he misunderstood her point. There's no way she could...could she?

Her beautiful green eyes were twinkling with starlight. She was chewing on her bottom lip like she does when she's concentrating on something; it's adorable.

Her voice trembled as she continued. "Sometimes, you don't know what you want until you can't have it anymore, even if it's been right by you the whole time." She was smiling now, and her voice gained confidence. "And sometimes, you have to do something you should've done a long time ago…"

Somehow, her hands had tangled in his forepaws, and suddenly, she was much closer to him; the forest green of her eyes eclipsing the entirety of his vision. An almost magnetic force drew them together; before he can breathe, she is inching closer, and her eyes flutter closed…

The kiss was tentative, exploring; Spyro felt like he was in a dream, felt like he was floating on a cushion of air just above the ground. She was so soft, yet the feel of her lips against his was like electricity. Every one of his senses was in hyperdrive. Kissing Elora was the greatest thing he'd ever experienced; a thousand times better than kissing Ember, better than he could've imagined…

They broke, and the grin on his face could've lit the Gemcutter's lamps a hundred times over. She was beaming as well, a light blush visible under the soft fur of her cheeks, eyes shining with unshed tears.

Spyro felt like a ten-ton weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"I love you," he breathed, scarcely believing it was real. It felt indescribably good to say the words.

Elora's tears finally fell, but she was smiling widely. _Happy tears, then._

Then she punched him in the shoulder.

"About time, you dork!"

He threw his head back and laughed, a deep, roaring laugh. "Well, I thought I was making it rather obvious!"

Elora reached her arms around his neck and pulled him close again. "I love you too, you great, annoying, frustrating, _wonderful_ dragon!"

* * *

ELORA

Elora wasn't sure who started it, but suddenly the two were locked in a tight, passionate embrace. All pretense of caution was thrown out, she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, and one of his forepaws was tangled in her hair while the other was down around her hip playing with the hem of her leaf dress.

She was breathless with excitement; kissing Spyro was _delightful_. His lips were soft and not reptilian at all; his skin was almost hot to the touch now; his tongue was _forked_ and it gave the whole thing an exotic thrill that no lover had ever managed to elicit in her before.

Elora's head was spinning; time ceased to have meaning. Her hips were pinned to the low wall by his own; she felt him shiver as she raked her nails down the scales on his back; a jolt of adrenaline shot through her as Spyro nipped gently at the side of her neck.

_Two can play at this game._

She braced her hooves against the stonework, dropped her hands to the dragon's chest, and _pushed. _Surprised, he fell backward, and she jumped and landed astride his hips, victorious smirk on her face.

Spyro had a challenging glint in his eye, and she started as he spat a tiny ember at her. It did not burn her, but it did land on her leaf dress, and before she knew it, the whole thing had gone up and was laying in a ring of ashes around her. Before she could marvel at the dragon's skill with his firemagic, she gasped and shyly covered herself with her arms, blushing.

He was gazing at her lovingly as he reached for her shoulders. "You're gorgeous, Elo," he breathed, wide-eyed, as he gently pulled her back toward him.

The faun relaxed into the kiss and whined softly at the new skin-to-scale contact. Their kiss quickly grew in fervor and the world around them faded away as their passion rose. Before Elora knew what was happening, she was sucking on the scales of his neck as one of his forepaws moved to caress her breast; the other latched onto the curve of her hindquarters, claws gently poking into the taut muscle. Her tail was flagging wildly; Spyro felt so _hot_ and it was feeding into the tingling heat building in her center.

_This is really happening._

Their kiss broke; she looked down at him and the question was clear in his eyes.

_Are we really doing this?_

The adrenaline was still coursing through her; she'd fooled around with satyrs before, but never anything like _this_. Most of her instincts were telling her to flee, but her heart sang that this was _right_. It was fast, but they'd practically been together without any of the _perks_ for years now. So Elora chose to be brave, and she'd never felt so sure about anything as she lifted her hips and reached between them to grasp his length and press the tip into her heated core.

She heard him gasp as she let her hips drop; she let out a long exhale that turned into a low moan as their bodies came together for the first time. She tensed as a sharp pain lanced through her center, but Spyro was quick to capture her lips in a searing kiss and she forgot the pain just as quickly as it came.

Elora felt so _full…_ full of love, full of passion, full of _him_, even as she lifted her hips and pulled his length away from her center...and then she dropped down again and colors exploded behind her eyes; nothing else mattered but the sweet friction between them as she rose and fell again; and Spyro met her every thrust with one of his own, withdrawing almost completely and then mashing their hips together at the apex.

They settled into a rhythm; dragon and faun locked together in a neverending embrace. They were tangled in a wonderful knot of touches, kisses, thrusts and caresses; Elora felt a tension grow in her center, and all of the sudden, with one powerful thrust from her dragon, the tension _snapped._ She saw fireworks in her eyes as her limbs locked in rapture; then suddenly something scorchingly hot pooled in her center and Spyro locked her into the tightest embrace the two had ever shared as he shuddered beneath her.

* * *

SPYRO

Spyro knew not how long the two stayed twined together. The rest of the world faded away as the lovers rode out the jolts of sensation coursing through their bodies.

Finally, Elora began to stir. The two sighed as their bodies parted, but Spyro let out a purr of contentment as Elora cuddled into his side and laid her head on his scaly chest.

Spyro barely dared to believe this was real; he was still in a lovestruck daze as he gazed down adoringly at the faun in his embrace.

She was the picture of beauty to him; the greatest, most fantastic sight he had ever laid eyes on in all his travels. Her hair was even more wild than usual; unkempt as it was from having his claws raked through. Her bright green eyes were full of love, and she was chewing on her bottom lip in that way that he found so _adorable_, though with a smile this time. The shine in her eyes turned to amusement as his stare raked over her the rest of her body.

Her chestnut fur gleamed in the light of the low moon; from her neck all the way down her front, where the brown gave way to a thinner, fine tan coat. The fur was even shorter on her breasts, finally ending around small, pink nubs; her breasts weren't large, but plenty perky, and Spyro thought they were _perfect_.

The light tan fur was thicker between her legs, for all intents and purposes hiding her center from the dragon's view. Her powerful legs and supple hindquarters were on display, however, and Spyro took his time taking in the sight of her. Her deer's tail was wagging cutely and she giggled at his mesmerized gaze.

"Avalar to dragon! Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked coyly.

Spyro laughed as he stood and held out a forepaw to her. "Of course, love. I could stare at you for eternity and die a happy dragon!"

Elora blushed at the endearment as she took his paw and stood. With silly grins on their faces, the couple pulled each other close, and Spyro heard Elora sigh in happiness as their lips met once more. Their passion grew again, Spyro's head becoming foggy with love and lust as their breath mingled and their tongues danced. Before he knew what was happening, his back was pressed up against the castle wall and Elora was peppering kisses down his chest. He lost himself in the feel of her hands clutching at his hips and her lips on his scales that he barely noticed when she rested on her haunches and dipped her head down to give a tentative lick along his revived member.

Instantly, Spyro saw firework; jolts of pleasure radiated through his every extremity as the faun continued her ministrations. He chanced a look down and took in the most arousing sight he'd ever been confronted with; Elora's beautiful green eyes were gazing up at him lovingly even as she drew her head back to suckle at the tip of his length. One of her hands came up to grasp him at the base while the other reached down to the apex of her legs; lewdly splayed open with her glistening sex now on full display.

Spyro groaned as she began to pull more of his length into her mouth; she was so hot and wet and it was all he could do to hold off his ultimate pleasure. She began to rock back and forth, and stars exploded behind his eyes once more; Elora sighed in contentment and her eyes drifted closed as he tangled a forepaw in her locks once again. He shivered with pleasure every time her tongue caressed a spot on the underside of his member and he saw her grin triumphantly.

_Minx._

Elora had worked him into a frenzy, but suddenly the heat around his length vanished and Spyro confusedly cracked his eyes open to see the faun looking back at him, waist bent, back arched, and hips pressed up against the low wall. Her legs were spread wide, tail flagging wildly, one hand working feverishly at the tiny, pink nub at the apex of her glistening slit.

She moaned lewdly and whined, "Please, Spyro...fuck meeeee!"

The dragon shook his head to clear the daze, and but a second later he was pressing into her, all pretenses of propriety or caution long having deserted them. Their lovemaking was fast and feral, unbridled passion boiling over into a frenzy. Spyro's animalistic grunts were drowned by Elora's desperate cries with each of the dragon's powerful thrusts. He felt her sex fluttering around him as she went limp with pleasure, held in place only by the low wall and his powerful grip on her hindquarters. Finally, he could sustain the pace no longer, and as the rapture engulfed him once again, he threw his head back and _roared_, a great plume of pink fire spewing into the air above them as he emptied himself into her.

* * *

ELORA

They both fell back into the grass, exhausted. Elora somehow found the energy to pull herself back into Spyro's side, cuddled up into a warm embrace. Everything was so _hot;_ the lingering heat from his dragonfire, the warmth from his essence pooled in her center, the feel of his scales against her fur, and the love bursting from her heart.

As they drifted into a light slumber, she heard him murmur, "Love you… 'lora…"

She beamed, and even as her eyes grew heavy and fluttered shut, she whispered back, "I love you too, Spyro…"

They fell asleep in each other's arms with wide grins plastered on their faces.

It was morning when awareness returned to Elora. The sound of songbirds merrily chirping drifted toward her, along with the rustle of a gentle breeze through the grass and the soft rush of waves lapping against the beach below them. She was still snuggled up against Spyro's chest, his innate warmth and the gentle rise and fall of his chest threatening to lull her back into a slumber.

Spyro's gaze met her own as she cracked her eyes open; the sun's light hadn't reached them yet, shaded as they were by the castle.

"Good morning, gorgeous," Spyro said softly. "You're the loveliest sight I've woken up to in my entire life." He seemed to have a permanent smile etched on his face.

Elora blushed and hid her face in the crook of his neck, but she still mumbled out a muffled, "Good morning, Spyro."

The two remained locked in their embrace, a comfortable silence stretching between them. No words were necessary for them; only the comforting presence of the other both of them had craved for so long.

Unfortunately, the two had to come back to reality at some point. "Spyro, we should probably go back to Avalar soon. The others might be worried…" After taking a moment to gather some willpower, she finally pushed herself up to a seat, and then finally to stand and stretch out the stiffness of her slumber.

Elora grimaced. "Although, maybe I should have a bath first…" Her hair was wild from Spyro's claws, and the thicker fur between her legs was a matted, tangled mess. Her muscles were sore everywhere, and there was a dull, throbbing ache in her core, though the latter was more satisfying than painful.

Spyro laughed as he came up to all fours and stretched like an overgrown kitten. When he rose to stand, he opened his arms wide and asked her, "Trust me?"

Elora closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Always."

She looked up at his face and there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, bad idea, faun. You have a lot to learn!"

_Shit._

Elora felt, rather than heard, the _whump! _of his wings as he tightened his grip about her and took off. She screamed as the world pitched beneath them, and suddenly they were falling out of the sky. She heard him yell, "Hold your breath!" and she sucked in a lungful of air right before Spyro plunged them both into the lake.

He surfaced with a few beats of his wings, and Elora broke the surface spluttering and indignant, repeatedly punching the dragon in the shoulder.

"You…" _Punch! _"wretched…" _Smack!_ "purple…" _Slap! _"monster!" She gave a roar (at least as well as a faun can roar), and the two continued to roughhouse in the pleasantly cool waters of the lake. Before long, they were laughing together as they splashed water around and playfully dunked each other. Finally, Spyro grabbed Elora around the waist and pulled them together for a soft kiss.

They parted lips, resting their foreheads against each others'. "I suppose I can take payment for that stunt in kisses," Elora said playfully.

Spyro grinned. "Then I suppose I'd better start repaying my debt."

Their lips met again, and again and again, but sadly it could not last, as they had things to do and places to be. Elora dipped her head under the water to wet her hair again, and Spyro used his claws as a makeshift comb to pull the tangles from her locks. He was very gentle, and the soft tugging helped Elora relax and pulled some of the soreness out of her tired body. Some time later, he was finished, and the two swam lazily back to the beach.

"Spyro, can you fly me up to one of the trees on the hill?" Elora queried.

He pouted. "Aww, do you have to? I like you like this!" he whined, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Yes, well, the whole of Avalar doesn't need to see me without a dress on, do they?"

He laughed. "I guess not. Hop on!"

* * *

SPYRO

A few wingbeats later, he landed near one of the large trees that dotted the landscape of Stone Hill. Spyro sat back on his haunches as Elora stepped off of him and approached the tree, almost reverently.

Spyro had never seen Elora's magic in action before. He only knew that fauns were incredibly in tune with nature, to the point where they could shape the natural environment to suit their needs, but it was a very personal process and fauns were often loathe to share it with any but their most beloved. He was honored to bear witness to it.

He was mystified as she began a gentle chant that was no louder than a whisper. Her eyes fluttered closed as she focused on the task, and she opened her arms to the sky as she asked the earth and the wind to do her bidding. Finally, a gust of wind kicked up, and a stream of leaves shot from the tree and wrapped around her, knitting themselves together snugly into Elora's signature leaf dress. Although with a twist…

Spyro could do naught but laugh. "I think that tree has a sense of humor, Elo!"

She turned confusedly as she ended the spell. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Spyro moved to her and ran a forepaw along the hem of her dress. "Look!"

The hem was ringed with a line of tiny purple and yellow blossoms woven into the leaves.

Elora deadpanned. "Stupid tree! I didn't ask for that!" She shouted toward the oak, shaking a fist in indignation.

A large acorn fell out of the tree and landed right on her head as a breeze kicked up and rustled the leaves of the old oak, making it sound as if it was laughing.

Spyro fell over in the grass, howling with unrestrained laughter.

Elora rolled her eyes. "Now even the trees think I'm a joke. Ha-ha, look at the weird faun that's dating a dragon!" She chuckled. "C'mon, dork, let's get going!" She pulled Spyro up to stand even as he continued to cackle at her. However, it seemed that Mother Nature wasn't done yet, as a ring of bark fell out of the canopy and over Spyro's neck. The wood was the color of Elora's chestnut fur, and it was lined with leaves and little green blossoms in the color of her vibrant eyes.

Spyro groaned, and now it was Elora's turn to roll around in the grass, cackling at the top of her lungs. Spyro had never seen her so carefree and relaxed, and he couldn't help but smile. She calmed, and he pulled her back up into a gentle embrace. Their lips met for a soft, sweet kiss under the shade of the (apparently) mischievous oak tree; Spyro heard a breeze rustle the leaves once again, and he groaned even as little blossoms of baby's breath began to drift down from the canopy onto the two lovers like little snowflakes.

_Who knew trees had a sense of humor?_

Elora giggled, and she held out her hand. "Shall we?"

Spyro smiled at her, the expression permanently affixed to his visage. "If we have to, I guess." He took her hand in his forepaw and the two began to make their way to the portal in companionable silence, hand in hand.

* * *

BIANCA

Bianca was worried.

Last night had been a lot of fun, at first. She and Hunter had returned to the courtyard of the Autumn Palace, where the festival was in full swing. One of the odd little fauns from Magma Cone had pressed a purple, fizzy concoction into her hands that gave her a head rush when she sipped it, and she and Hunter were ushered to the dance floor where they proceeded to spend the next several hours wrapped up in each other.

The whole time though, she kept glancing about for a familiar flash of purple scales or chestnut fur, preferably glued together at the lips, and was disappointed every time. Every time she gazed about the courtyard and came up empty, a pit of uneasiness grew a little larger in her gut.

Why would they not return to the festival if their talk went well? Had she ruined Avalar's most powerful friendship by pushing Elora?

The other Avalari had noticed the dragon was gone, too. He was usually the life of these parties, dancing with anyone and everyone, and downing more of the odd drinks from the Cone than anyone else thanks to his magically enhanced dragon's tolerance he'd developed in the years since the festival began. His absence was stark.

Bianca's worry grew even as the band of satyrs announced their final song, as Hunter gently pulled her up toward their room for the night in the Palace. She tried to put it out of her mind, even as he started to lay kisses and little nips along the side of her neck, but the worry gnawed at her even as they laid together and as the cheetah fell into a deep sleep. She laid wide awake for hours, head on his chest, despite the soothing effect of his deep breathing. When she did sleep, it was fitful and shallow.

Eventually, the sun crested the horizon and streamed into their window, and it was time to rise for the traditional post-festival breakfast. Bianca's head was throbbing, and despite the looming absence of a certain faun and her supposed dragon beau, she was looking forward to breakfast. The kitchens always pulled out all the stops, and this was the one occasion where even a Breezebuilder and a Land Blubber could come together over the table and simply compare their hangovers instead of actually trying to kill each other.

Hunter must have seen her pensive look, because he reassured her softly, "Don't worry, babe. They'll show up when they're ready. Even if things didn't go so well, they'll be alright. My sis is the toughest faun in Avalar, and Spyro...well, he'll be alright eventually."

Bianca grimaced. "Eventually...that's what I'm afraid of. Dragons live for hundreds of years. How long is eventually?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Hunter mused, gently nudging Bianca toward the door of their room and toward the Great Hall.

Bianca laughed, despite the tension. "Hmmm. That was philosophical," she giggled. "Who are you, and what have you done with Hunter?"

The cheetah rolled his eyes. "Aww, c'mon, babe, I can drop a good line every so often!"

Bianca just laughed and grasped his paw in her own as they entered the Hall. The air was full of the quiet rumble of friendly chatter and the clinking of cutlery, along with hundreds of delicious scents all mingling together.

Hunter plopped down in the closest pair of open seats, immediately poured a cup of coffee, and began to tuck into a massive omelet. Bianca giggled and sat a bit more gently, also reaching for the coffee and a stack of pancakes. She sighed as the black nectar of the gods warmed her from the inside out and alleviated some of the stress of the morning and of their absent friends.

She and Hunter enjoyed their breakfast, an amiable silence shared between the lovers. At least, until a whoop of joy and a scream shattered the peaceful atmosphere, as a purple and yellow missile shot into the hall through one of the open windows and did a front flip.

"Hey, everyone! Spyro's here!" one of the fauns from Magma Cone sitting nearby exclaimed, eyes bloodshot and party hat askew.

"Alright! Spyro's back!"

"Now it's a party!"

"'Bout damn time!"

The rumble grew into a din, as all of the gathered Avalari rose to welcome the dragon of the hour. That is, until Lila the faun piped up, "Who's that on his back?"

The hall immediately grew silent as Spyro knelt down to let his passenger alight. It appeared to be a faun, with brown fur and a familiar-looking leaf dress.

_A faun._

_Brown fur._

_Leaf dress._

_ELORA?_

The faun in question giggled as she waved to the crowd. "Hey, everyone! Sorry we're late, we er... got a little sidetracked. Is there still food left?"

Bianca could only stare open-mouthed as the pair quickly made their way to the open seats next to her and Hunter. Elora was beaming, and she looked so happy she was practically glowing. Spyro had a dopey grin on his face and as they walked he took her hand in his paw.

As they sat, Spyro looked around the still-silent hall. "What's the matter, haven't you guys ever seen a couple before?" he japed.

Hunter, loveable oaf that he is, broke the silence. "You're _joking_. You guys are actually _dating_?"

Spyro mock-glared at him. "You got a problem with that, pussycat?"

Finally, the disbelief shattered, and the hall roared with laughter and cheers. Spyro and Hunter high-fived, Bianca swept Elora up into a bone-crushing hug, and the fauns from the Cone were already planning another party.

Somewhere in the din, a satyr with a thick brogue shouted, "Well, why won't ye kiss the lass?"

The couple grinned, and their lips met gently as the entire hall broke into cheers and applause.

Bianca couldn't help but grin as she gazed at the new couple. Spyro looked like a boulder had been lifted from his shouders; he stood taller and somehow his scales shined brighter than they had just the day before. Elora had a permanent smile etched on her face; her fur seemed to be glowing and the two shared an easy closeness that shouldn't have been so natural so quickly.

_Unless…_

"So, you two, where'd you disappear to last night?" Bianca queried, eyebrows wagging, smirk plastered on her face, and eyes brimming with humor.

Elora and Spyro both blushed brightly, though they were still smiling.

"You wanna take that question, love?" Spyro queried, humor sparkling in his eyes.

Elora giggled. "No, I think we'll just let them figure it out for themselves. I wouldn't want to scar Hunter for life!"

Said cheetah just stuck out his tongue and went back to nursing his coffee cup.

A sneering voice cut into the happy moment. "Ooh, scandalous. So, the weirdo finally gave it up, and to a _dragon_ of all things. Ooh, I bet she was _awful. _Did it even work? It's been so long, I bet it was all dusty and full of cobwebs!"

Spyro groaned. Elora had gone stiff next to him, and he entwined his forepaw with her hand to reassure her. He spoke up firmly, "Okay, first of all, _gross._ Second of all, go _away_, Lila. My answer is the same as the first three hundred times you asked."

"Oh, but Spyro," she purred, "I'm sure I could show you a much better time than _deer-tail_ over here. Why don't we go upstairs so I can show you what a _real_ faun can do."

Spyro just rolled his eyes. "Lila, just because you've done every satyr in Fracture Hills doesn't mean you're any good. In fact, I'm good friends with them, and I've heard mostly the opposite!"

Said satyrs were doubled over with laughter two tables over.

Lila huffed. "Well, at least I like guys that have fur!" she spat, red-faced and livid.

Elora scoffed, and summoning up a bit of bravery, she turned to face her tormentor. "Says the slut that was just trying to hit on a _dragon, _in front of his girlfriend. Hypocrite." She rolled her eyes. "Go find someone else to bother, Lila. No one here cares."

The pale blue faun stomped her hoof and glared around, looking for a supporter. When none arose, she roared and stomped from the hall, shouting obscenities the whole way.

When the door finally shut behind her, the whole hall cheered as Elora and Spyro shared another kiss.

"Thank you, Spyro. I love you," she said with a smile.

Spyro beamed like it was the first time she'd said that. "I love you too, Elo. I'm proud of you for standing up to her."

Another voice interrupted, this time a soft, nervous one. "Elora, can we have a moment?"

Elora looked up to see Spinner, Krista, and Sheila, three more of the fauns of Fracture Hills, although this time they looked sheepish and almost terrified. The latter might have had to do with the murderous glare Spyro was sending their way.

Krista seemed to steel herself, and then she said, "Elora, we want to apologize. I know we were all nightmares when we were younger, and I'm sorry. Lila has been a terror lately and frankly, we're all sick of it. Have been for awhile." The other fauns nodded their assent. "I know it doesn't make up for how awful we were to you, but we want to maybe start over, if you'll let us…?" She extended her hand.

Elora looked to Spyro, who shrugged. His gaze was supportive, but seemed to say, _This is your fight, your call._

The chestnut faun seemed to steel herself, and then took Krista's hand in a shake. "Okay. I'll never forget, but I guess I can forgive you. But be warned, my boyfriend is very protective," she giggled, as Spyro mock-shielded her with a forepaw. "And he's extremely _precise_ with his firemagic!"

The fauns all giggled. "Trust me," Spinner ruminated, "We won't be crossing dragon-boy's claws any time soon. Oh, but he's soooo dreamy!"

"Hey! Back off, he's mine!" Elora said mirthfully.

Spyro was laughing as well. "Ladies, not that I mind being fought over, but would you let us have our breakfast in peace?"

"Okay. You two lovebirds have fun. But not too much fun!" Sheila winked salaciously. "Bye, Spyro!"

The dragon in question just shook his head as the giggling gaggle of goat-girls sauntered along. "Sheesh, they're a nightmare," he complained.

Bianca, who had been amusedly watching the proceedings, chimed in, "Yeah, they're the only beings in Avalar that can render this oaf -" as she elbowed a spaced-out Hunter in the ribs, prompting an offended 'Oof...Hey!' from the cheetah - "speechless. Apparently they think he's 'dreamy' too." She rolled her eyes as she made air quotes. "I guess they all have a thing for predators."

"Like we have any room to talk!" Elora giggled, sidling up to Spyro and pecking him on the cheek. "Though this one is just a big, soft, loveable overgrown lizard underneath all that bravado!"

The table around them all roared with laughter as the dragon in question pouted in indignation. He recovered quickly, though, and the friends continued to enjoy their breakfast in peace with all of Avalar around them as a deep sense of contentment settled over the room.

* * *

ELORA

"Must you leave again so soon? You just got back, and now you're flying off again to who-knows-where and you're stealing away my best friend!" Bianca pouted cutely, though she struggled to repress her smile when Elora finished fussing over him and checking the bindings on his new pack.

Spyro quirked an eyebrow as he began to do the same for the faun. "Oh, please. You're probably glad to be rid of us for awhile. I'm sure Hunter won't mind you having more time on your hands," he said with a wink.

Bianca blushed cutely but chose not to refute.

"Alright, love. I think we're ready for take-off!" Spyro smiled widely, wings itching to be back in the air again.

Elora bit her lip nervously, but her eyes shined with excitement. "I've never been away from home this long before. I'll miss it," she ruminated, glancing over the grounds of the Autumn Palace fondly. It was barely daybreak; the white marble of the palace walls was still in shadow and the horizon was painted with dark reds and oranges.

She turned to Spyro, who looked every inch the seasoned explorer. He had already donned his new windscarf - dyed in the bright green of her eyes, of course. He used to favor a crimson scarf, but even though the green clashed horribly with his colors, he wore it with pride. His flight goggles were perched on his forehead, held by old, weather-worn leather straps.

His new supply pack was a fantastic bit of leatherwork from one of the Breezebuilders. It went all the way down his back, with bindings around both his fore- and hind-legs, and it was specially designed for both ease of movement and to give a spot for Elora to perch while they were journeying through the sky together. It looked kind of like two normal packs, one high on his shoulders and one on his lower back, held together in the middle by a padded leather flap which sat right behind his wing joints where she would ride. They had spent the last two weeks testing it extensively, along with her new backpack done in the same soft leather. Her seat was soft and comfortable, and the straps were snug and secure but didn't hinder the movement of Spyro's wings or limbs. It really was an amazing piece of Breezebuilder engineering.

He stepped up to her, and tenderly said, "Hey, it'll all be here when we get back. Just think of it like a long vacation!"

Elora smiled and leaned up to kiss him sweetly. She loved that he still got that dopey grin on his face even after a month of kisses.

He reached into a side pouch and drew out a wrapped package. "Before we leave, I got you something. Open it before we take off!"

Elora grinned brightly as she undid the twine holding the cloth wrapping. Inside was her very own set of flight goggles, along with a windscarf just like Spyro's, except in a deep purple.

Spyro gave her an uncertain smile. "Do you like it? I wanted you to be comfortable up in the air and…" Again, he found himself cut off by a furred finger on his lips.

Elora smiled prettily. "Thank you, Spyro. I love it!" She wrapped the scarf around her shoulders, and they donned their goggles in tandem.

Spyro dropped down onto all fours. "Ready?"

"As long as I'm with you, always." She swung a leg over and settled herself in behind his wing joints, securing her legs with a final set of bindings. The leather underneath her was soft and promised to keep her comfortable for long hours up in the sky.

"Have I said that I love you yet today?" The dragon grinned back at her.

The words still elicited butterflies in her. "Only about seventeen times," she teased. "But I think I can handle a few more."

He pouted cutely.

Elora giggled. "I love you too, you great lizard. Now let's go see the world!"

Spyro nodded to Hunter and Bianca. "'Bye, guys! See you… well, sometime!"

Elora waved as they took off, and didn't take her eyes off of their friends until they were so high she couldn't see them anymore.

She yelled, "So, where are we going?"

Spyro laughed. "I don't know! I thought we could just pick a direction and see what we find! As long as I'm with you, I'm happy!"

She could only smile.

They were quiet as they flew off toward the horizon. No more words were necessary between them, now that the silence between them had finally been broken.

All was well.

* * *

_Fin_


End file.
